The Packers were not expected to win on Sunday, even while hosting the Cowboys on their own turf at Lambeau Field. They certainly were not expected to win in the fourth quarter, when they trailed by 14 points to a Dallas team enjoying a CeeDee Lamb breakout. But don't tell that to Aaron Rodgers, who came alive while connecting with rookie Christian Watson to lead Green Bay to 17 unanswered points and a 31-28 overtime upset, snapping the Packers' five-game losing streak.
Former Packers coach Mike McCarthy wasn't just on the other sideline to witness the Cowboys' defeat; he had a hand in the affair, opting to go for it on fourth down during Dallas' lone OT possession, rather than trying a 53-yard field goal to get ahead. But it was Watson who really damaged America's Team on Sunday, scoring three touchdowns and hauling in multiple deep shots to give the Packers the home-run threat they've sorely been lacking.
Here are additional takeaways from Sunday's Packers win, which improved Green Bay to 4-6 and dropped Dallas to 6-3:
Why the Packers won
Somebody finally decided to play catch with Aaron Rodgers! Turns out, Christian Watson didn't just do that; he easily burned almost every Cowboys cornerback who attempted to contain him. The rookie wideout wasn't perfect, but he was darn close, finishing with 107 yards and three touchdowns on four catches, giving Green Bay its first true home-run threat of the year. His emergence enabled Matt LaFleur's squad to actually put up a fight while down 14 in the fourth, though Aaron Jones was reliable as usual carrying the offensive load early. The defense remained vulnerable in every facet, but Jaire Alexander had a couple of clutch breakups working on CeeDee Lamb. The biggest props belong to A-Rod's unit, however, which finally, in the waning minutes and then in OT, showed some of the charisma and confidence befitting a true contender.
Why the Cowboys lost
No. 1: Dak Prescott, though resilient enough to give Dallas a two-score lead in the third, was generally off the mark, firing two picks right into the Packers' hands out of the gate -- miscommunications or not, they were ugly -- and struggling to establish any rhythm in the fourth. No. 2: Dan Quinn's vaunted "D" barely affected Rodgers; Micah Parsons was a virtual nonfactor by his standards, and as a result, no one in their secondary could keep up with Watson, even though he was literally the only Packers receiver to serve a steady threat. Mike McCarthy also hurt himself by gambling in OT, choosing to go for it on fourth down instead of trying a 53-yard field goal -- a decision that allowed Green Bay to win it with a field goal of its own.
Turning point
It's gotta be the fourth-down call from McCarthy. Tied 28-28 and driving inside the Packers' 40 on the first possession of OT, Dallas would've claimed the "W" with a touchdown. A field goal, meanwhile, would've at least guaranteed they'd be alive if the Packers could only get three. On fourth-and-3, rather than let Brett Maher try a kick from 53, McCarthy called a short pass, but Dak Prescott couldn't connect with Tony Pollard while facing pressure, and Green Bay quickly seized on the opportunity, moving all the way to the Cowboys' 20 when Rodgers found Allen Lazard for a 36-yard strike three plays later.
Play of the game
Give it to the rookie Watson, whose first TD just instilled a different kind of energy in these Packers on maybe their biggest night of the season:
What's next
The Packers (4-6) will stay at home for Thursday night's quick turnaround against the Titans (6-3), who edged the Broncos on Sunday. The Cowboys (6-3), meanwhile, will travel to Minnesota for a matchup with the Vikings (8-1), who upset the Bills in Week 10's wildest back-and-forth.